Apparatus and method for processing substrate

Abstract

The present invention discloses an apparatus and a method for processing a substrate, and specifically discloses an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber for forming a processing space in which a processing process for a substrate is performed by a combination of a first body and a second body; and a driver for moving either one of the first body or the second body with respect to the other such that a relative position between the first body and the second body may be changeable between a sealing position at which the processing space is sealed from the outside and an opening position at which the processing space is opened, wherein the first body is formed with a first protrusion on a surface in contact with the second body, the second body is formed with a first receiving portion, and the first protrusion is arranged to be inserted into the first receiving portion when the first body and the second body are in the sealing position.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0098609 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on July 28, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a substrate and a method of processing a substrate, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method of processing a substrate in a high-pressure atmosphere. Background Art

[0004] In order to manufacture semiconductor devices, a desired pattern is formed on a substrate through various processes such as photography, etching, ashing, ion implantation, and thin film deposition. Various processing liquids are used in each process, and contaminants and particles are generated during the process. In order to remove the contaminants and particles, a cleaning process to remove the contaminants and particles before and after each process is essential.

[0005] Generally, the cleaning process includes treating the substrate with chemicals and a rinse solution, followed by drying. The drying process is a process of drying the rinse solution remaining on the substrate, which involves replacing the rinse solution on the substrate with an organic solvent having a lower surface tension than the rinse solution (such as isopropyl alcohol (IPA)) and then removing the organic solvent. However, as the patterns formed on the substrate become finer, it is not easy to remove the organic solvent remaining in the space between the patterns.

[0006] In recent years, a process of removing residual organic solvent on a substrate by using a supercritical fluid has been performed. The supercritical processing process is performed in a high-pressure processing space sealed from the outside to meet specific conditions of the supercritical fluid.

[0007] After the supercritical processing is completed, the processing space is opened to unload the substrate. However, due to the expansion of the initial processing space, the pressure inside the processing space is temporarily lower than that outside, which can cause particles to enter from the outside. Summary of the invention

[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a device and a method which minimize the introduction of foreign particles into a processing space during the process of opening the processing space.

[0009] The objects of the present invention are not limited thereto, and other objects not mentioned will be clearly understood from the following description by those of ordinary skill in the art.

[0010] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber comprising a first body and a second body, the first body and the second body being combined with each other to form a processing space in which a processing process for the substrate is performed; a driver for moving either the first body or the second body relative to the other so that the relative position between the first body and the second body is changeable between a sealed position for sealing the processing space from the outside and an open position for opening the processing space; a support unit for supporting the substrate in the processing space; and a fluid supply unit for supplying a processing fluid to the processing space; and a discharge unit for discharging a fluid from the processing space, wherein the first body is formed with a first protrusion on a surface in contact with the second body, the second body is formed with a first receiving portion, and the first protrusion can be configured to be inserted into the first receiving portion when the first body and the second body are in the sealed position.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first protrusion and the first receiving portion may be formed such that the first protrusion does not contact an inner wall providing the first receiving portion when the first body and the second body are in the sealing position or the open position.

[0012] According to an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of first protrusions may be formed in a radial direction of the chamber.

[0013] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first protrusion may be provided in a ring shape when viewed from above.

[0014] According to an exemplary embodiment, the chamber may further include a sealing member, and the first protrusion is located further out than the sealing member in a radial direction of the chamber.

[0015] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first body may be positioned below the second body, and an upper end of the first protrusion may be formed at a position higher than an upper end of the sealing member.

[0016] According to an exemplary embodiment, the second body may be formed with a second protrusion on a surface contacting the first body, the first body may be formed with a second receiving portion, and the second protrusion may be configured to be inserted into the second receiving portion when the first body and the second body are in a sealed position.

[0017] According to an exemplary embodiment, the device may further include a clamping member for clamping the chamber when the first body and the second body are in the sealed position.

[0018] According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus may further include a controller, wherein the controller may process the substrate by supplying a first processing gas into the processing space in a state where the processing space is sealed, and then, when the processing process for the substrate is completed, supplying a purge gas to the processing space until the processing space is at a preset pressure, and then, controlling a driver to move the first body and the second body relative to each other so that the first body and the second body are separated by a first spacing distance, and then, moving the first body and the second body relative to each other so that the first body and the second body are separated by a second spacing distance, the first spacing distance being smaller than the second spacing distance, and the second spacing distance being a distance spaced between the first body and the second body when the substrate is loaded into or unloaded from the processing space.

[0019] According to an exemplary embodiment, the first spacing distance may be smaller than a height of the first protrusion protruding from the first body.

[0020] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: a loading operation, in which the substrate is loaded into an open processing space by a transfer hand; a sealing operation, in which the processing space is sealed; a process processing operation, in which a pressure greater than a normal pressure is used to form a sealed processing space and a processing fluid is supplied to the processing space to process the substrate loaded into the processing space; a discharge operation, in which the atmosphere of the processing space is discharged; and an opening operation, in which the opening operation is used to open the processing space, wherein the opening operation comprises: a first opening operation, in which the processing space is opened by moving a first body and a second body relative to each other, so that a distance between the first body and the second body forming the processing space is a first spacing distance; and a second opening operation, in which the processing space is opened by moving the first body and the second body relative to each other, so that a distance between the first body and the second body is a second spacing distance greater than the first spacing distance, and the first spacing distance is less than a height of a protrusion formed on a surface in contact with the second body protruding from the first body.

[0021] According to example embodiments, the first spacing distance may be smaller than the second spacing distance, and the second spacing distance may be a distance spaced between the first body and the second body when the substrate is loaded into or unloaded from the processing space.

[0022] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include, between the exhaust operation and the opening operation, a gas supplying operation of supplying a purge gas to the process space until the process space reaches a preset pressure, wherein the preset pressure is higher than an external pressure of the process space.

[0023] According to an exemplary embodiment, the gas supply operation may include stopping exhausting the atmosphere of the process space.

[0024] According to an exemplary embodiment, a speed at which the first body and the second body are moved relative to each other in the second opening operation may be lower than a speed at which the first body and the second body are moved relative to each other in the first opening operation.

[0025] According to this exemplary embodiment, after the first opening operation and before the second opening operation, the relative movement of the first body and the second body is stopped for a predetermined period of time.

[0026] According to an exemplary embodiment, the method may further include a clamping operation of clamping the processing space between the loading operation and the processing operation and after sealing the processing space; and a clamping release operation of releasing the clamping between the discharging operation and the first opening operation.

[0027] Another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber, the chamber comprising a first body and a second body, the first body and the second body being combined with each other to form a processing space in which a processing process for the substrate is performed; a driver for moving either the first body or the second body relative to the other, so that the relative position between the first body and the second body is changeable between a sealed position for sealing the processing space from the outside and an open position for opening the processing space; a support unit for supporting the substrate in the processing space; a fluid supply unit for supplying a processing fluid to the processing space; a discharge unit for discharging a fluid from the processing space; a clamping member for clamping the chamber when the first body and the second body are in the sealed position; and a control A controller, wherein a first body is formed with a protrusion on a surface in contact with a second body, a receiving portion is formed on the second body, and the protrusion is arranged to be inserted into the receiving portion when the first body and the second body are in a sealed position, a controller clamps the chamber in a state where the processing space is sealed, supplies a first processing gas to the processing space, supplies a purge gas to the processing space until the processing space is at a preset pressure when the processing process of the substrate is completed, and releases the clamping, controls a driver to move the first body and the second body relative to each other, so that the first body and the second body are separated by a first spacing distance, and the first spacing distance is less than the second spacing distance, and the second spacing distance is the distance between the first body and the second body when the substrate is loaded into or unloaded from the processing space, and the first spacing distance is less than the height of the protrusion protruding from the first body.

[0028] According to an exemplary embodiment, the controller can control the drive to move the first body and the second body relative to each other so that the first body and the second body are separated by a first spacing distance, and then stop the relative movement of the first body and the second body for a predetermined time period before moving the first body and the second body relative to each other so that the first body and the second body are separated by a second spacing distance.

[0029] According to an exemplary embodiment, the chamber may further include a sealing member, and the protrusion is located at an outer position than the sealing member in a radial direction of the chamber.

[0030] According to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, introduction of external particles and external air flow during a process of opening a processing space can be minimized.

[0031] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the processing space from rapidly expanding, and it is possible to prevent a negative pressure from being temporarily generated in the processing space in the drying chamber.

[0032] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the aforementioned effects, and those skilled in the art can clearly understand unmentioned effects from the present specification and the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0033] By studying the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, various features and advantages of the non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present specification may become apparent. The accompanying drawings are provided for illustrative purposes only and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. Unless explicitly stated, the drawings are not considered to be drawn to scale. For clarity, the various dimensions in the drawings may be exaggerated.

[0034] Figure 1 2 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2 To schematically illustrate an exemplary embodiment Figure 1 Diagram of the liquid handling chamber.

[0036] Figure 3 To schematically illustrate an exemplary embodiment Figure 1 Diagram of the drying chamber.

[0037] Figure 4 for Figure 3 An enlarged view of a portion where the first body and the second body contact each other.

[0038] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of a substrate support unit.

[0039] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A three-dimensional view of the clamping member.

[0040] Figure 7 To illustrate the use of Figure 3 Flow chart of the process of processing a substrate by the device.

[0041] Figures 8 to 19 To illustrate the use of Figure 3 Device, according to Figure 7 A flowchart of each operation of a process for processing a substrate is shown in FIG.

[0042] Fig. 20 Based on Figure 7 Each operation of the flowchart draws a graph of the gap between the first body and the second body.

[0043] Figure 21 to Figure 23 is a diagram showing a cavity of the present invention according to a modified exemplary embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. Example embodiments are provided so that the disclosure is thorough and the scope is fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Many specific details (such as examples of specific components, equipment, and methods) are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details need not be adopted, and example embodiments can be embodied in many different forms, and specific details should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some example embodiments, known processes, known equipment structures, and known technologies are not described in detail.

[0045] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be restrictive. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms "a, an" and "the" may be intended to include plural forms. The terms "comprises, comprising", "including" and "having" are inclusive, and therefore specifically refer to the presence of the features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or increase of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. Unless explicitly identified as an execution order, the method steps, processes and operations described herein should not be interpreted as having to be performed in the specific order discussed or illustrated. It should also be understood that additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0046] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on another element or layer," "engaged to another element or layer," "connected to another element or layer," or "coupled to another element or layer," the element or layer may be directly on another element or layer, directly engaged to another element or layer, directly connected to another element or layer, or directly coupled to another element or layer, or there may be intermediate elements or layers. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on another element or layer," "directly engaged to another element or layer," "directly connected to another element or layer," or "directly coupled to another element or layer," there may be no intermediate elements or layers. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted similarly (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0047] Although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. can be used in this article to describe different elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections, unless otherwise specified, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer and / or section from another region, layer or section. When used in this article, unless the context clearly indicates, terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical items do not imply order or sequence. Therefore, without departing from the teaching of the example embodiment, the first element, first component, first region, first layer or first section discussed below can be referred to as the second element, second component, second region, second layer or second section.

[0048] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as "inside," "outside," "below," "beneath," "below," "above," and the like may be used herein to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature, as shown in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientations described in the accompanying drawings. For example, if the device in the figure is flipped, an element described as being "below" or "beneath" other elements or features will subsequently be oriented to be "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" is able to encompass both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or oriented in other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0049] When the terms "same" or "identical" are used in the description of the exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that some imprecision may exist. Thus, when an element or value is referred to as being the same as another element or value, it should be understood that the element or value is the same as the other element or value within a manufacturing or operating tolerance range (e.g., ±10%).

[0050] When the term "approximately" or "substantially" is used with a numerical value, it should be understood that the associated numerical value includes a manufacturing or operating tolerance (e.g., ±10%) around the numerical value. In addition, when the words "generally" and "substantially" are used in connection with geometric shapes, it should be understood that the precision of the geometric shape is not required, but the latitude of the shape is within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0051] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the example embodiments belong. It should also be understood that terms (including those defined in commonly used dictionaries) should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0052] The substrate processing apparatus may perform a supercritical process to process the substrate W by using a supercritical fluid as a processing fluid.

[0053] The term "substrate W" is a broad concept, which includes any substrate used for manufacturing semiconductor devices, flat panel displays (FPDs), and other items having circuit patterns formed on thin films. Examples of the substrate W include silicon wafers, various wafers, glass substrates, and organic substrates.

[0054] Supercritical fluid refers to a phase having the properties of both gas and liquid formed when a supercritical state exceeding the critical temperature and critical pressure is reached. Supercritical fluid has a molecular density close to that of a liquid and a viscosity close to that of a gas, so supercritical fluid has excellent diffusivity, permeability, and solubility, which is conducive to chemical reactions, and has almost no surface tension, so supercritical fluid does not exert interfacial tension on the microstructure.

[0055] The supercritical process is performed by using the properties of a supercritical fluid, and includes, for example, a supercritical drying process and a supercritical etching process. The supercritical drying process will be described below based on the supercritical drying process. However, this is only for illustrative purposes, and the substrate processing apparatus may perform other supercritical processes in addition to the supercritical drying process.

[0056] The supercritical drying process can be performed by dissolving the organic solvent residue in the circuit pattern of the substrate W with a supercritical fluid and drying the substrate W, which not only has excellent drying efficiency but also prevents the collapse phenomenon. As the supercritical fluid used in the supercritical drying process, a substance miscible with the organic solvent can be used. For example, supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO 2 ) can be used as a supercritical fluid.

[0057] Carbon dioxide has a critical temperature of 31.1°C and a relatively low critical pressure of 7.38MPa, so it is easy to make carbon dioxide into a supercritical state, and it is easy to control the phase change of carbon dioxide by adjusting the temperature and pressure, and carbon dioxide is inexpensive. In addition, carbon dioxide is non-toxic, harmless to the human body, non-flammable, inert, and the diffusion coefficient of supercritical carbon dioxide is 10 to 100 times that of water or other organic solvents, which allows faster penetration and replacement of organic solvents, and there is almost no surface tension, which is conducive to drying substrates W with fine circuit patterns. In addition, carbon dioxide can be recycled as a by-product of various chemical reactions, and can be used in supercritical drying processes and then converted into gas to separate organic solvents to be reused, which is less burdensome in terms of environmental pollution.

[0058] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 1 to 15 Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail.

[0059] Figure 1 2 is a diagram illustrating a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0060] See also Figure 1 , the substrate processing device includes an index module 10, a processing module 20, and a controller 30. When viewed from above, the index module 10 and the processing module 20 are arranged in one direction. Hereinafter, the direction in which the index module 10 and the processing module 20 are arranged is referred to as a first direction X, and when viewed from above, a direction perpendicular to the first direction X is referred to as a second direction Y, and a direction perpendicular to both the first direction X and the second direction Y is referred to as a third direction Z.

[0061] The index module 10 transfers the substrate W from the container C containing the substrate W therein to the processing module 20, and contains the substrate W that has been processed in the processing module 20 into the container C. The longitudinal direction of the index module 10 is arranged along the second direction Y. The index module 10 includes a loading port 12 and an index frame 14. The loading port 12 is located at an opposite side of the processing module 20 based on the index frame 14. The container C containing the substrate W therein is placed on the loading port 12. A plurality of loading ports 12 may be provided, and the plurality of loading ports 12 may be arranged along the second direction Y.

[0062] An airtight container such as a Front Open Unified Pod (FOUP) may be used as the container C. The container C may be placed on the load port 12 by a transport device (not shown) such as an overhead transport, an overhead conveyor, or an automated guided vehicle, or by an operator.

[0063] The index robot 120 is provided to the index frame 14. A guide rail 124 provided in the longitudinal direction along the second direction Y is provided in the index frame 14, and the index robot 120 may be provided to be movable on the guide rail 124. The index robot 120 includes a hand 122 on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand 122 may be provided to be movable in the forward and backward directions, rotatable about the third direction Z, and movable in the third direction Z. A plurality of hands 122 are provided to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and the hands 122 may be moved forward and backward independently of each other.

[0064] The controller 30 can control the substrate processing device. The controller 30 may include: a process controller, which is composed of a microprocessor (computer) that performs control of the substrate processing device; a user interface, which is composed of a keyboard, on which the operator performs command input operations, etc. in order to manage the substrate processing device; a display, which is used to visualize and display the operating status of the substrate processing device, etc.; and a storage unit, which stores a control program for executing a process performed in the substrate processing device under the control of the process controller, or stores a program for executing a process in each component according to various data and processing conditions (i.e., a processing scheme). In addition, the user interface and the storage unit may be connected to the process controller. The processing scheme may be stored in a storage medium in the storage unit, and the storage medium may be a hard disk, a portable disk (such as a CD-ROM or a DVD), or a semiconductor memory (such as a flash memory).

[0065] The processing module 20 includes a buffer unit 200, a transfer chamber 300, a liquid processing chamber 400, and a drying chamber 500. The buffer unit 200 provides a space in which the substrate W loaded into the processing module 20 and the substrate W unloaded from the processing module 20 temporarily stay. The liquid processing chamber 400 performs a liquid processing process for processing the substrate W with liquid by supplying liquid onto the substrate W. The drying chamber 500 performs a drying process for removing liquid remaining on the substrate W. The transfer chamber 300 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 200, the liquid processing chamber 400, and the drying chamber 500.

[0066] The longitudinal direction of the transfer chamber 300 may be arranged along the first direction X. The buffer unit 200 may be arranged between the index module 10 and the transfer chamber 300. The liquid processing chamber 400 and the drying chamber 500 may be arranged on the side of the transfer chamber 300. The liquid processing chamber 400 and the transfer chamber 300 may be arranged along the second direction Y. The drying chamber 500 and the transfer chamber 300 may be arranged along the second direction Y. The buffer unit 200 may be located at one end of the transfer chamber 300.

[0067] According to an example, the liquid processing chamber 400 is disposed on both sides of the transfer chamber 300, and the drying chamber 500 is disposed on both sides of the transfer chamber 300, and the liquid processing chamber 400 may be disposed closer to the buffer unit 200 than the drying chamber 500. At one side of the transfer chamber 300, the liquid processing chamber 400 may be disposed in an A×B (each of A and B is a natural number of 1 or greater) arrangement along the first direction X and the third direction Z. In addition, at one side of the transfer chamber 300, the drying chamber 500 may be disposed in a C×D (each of C and D is a natural number of 1 or greater) number along the first direction X and the third direction Z. Different from the above, only the liquid processing chamber 400 may be disposed on one side of the transfer chamber 300, and only the drying chamber 500 may be disposed on the other side of the transfer chamber 300.

[0068] The transfer chamber 300 includes a transfer robot 320. A guide rail 324 disposed along a first direction X in a longitudinal direction is disposed in the transfer chamber 300, and the transfer robot 320 may be disposed to be movable on the guide rail 324. The transfer robot 320 includes a hand 322 on which a substrate W is placed, and the hand 322 may be disposed to be movable in forward and backward directions, rotatable about a third direction Z, and movable in the third direction Z. A plurality of hands 322 are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction, and are capable of independently moving forward and backward.

[0069] The buffer unit 200 includes a plurality of buffer zones 220 on which the substrate W is placed. The buffer zones 220 may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other along the third direction Z. The front and rear of the buffer unit 200 are open. The front is a surface facing the index module 10, and the rear is a surface facing the transfer chamber 300. The index robot 120 may approach the buffer unit 200 through the front, and the transfer robot 320 may approach the buffer unit 200 through the rear.

[0070] Figure 2 For schematic illustration Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a liquid processing chamber.

[0071] See also Figure 2The liquid processing chamber 400 includes a housing 410 , a cup 420 , a supporting unit 440 , a liquid supply unit 460 , and a lifting unit 480 .

[0072] The housing 410 may have an inner space for processing the substrate W. The housing 410 may have a substantially hexahedral shape. For example, the housing 410 may have a cubic shape. In addition, the housing 410 may have an opening (not shown) through which the substrate W is loaded or unloaded. In addition, the housing 410 may be equipped with a door (not shown) that selectively opens and closes the opening.

[0073] The cup 420 may have a barrel shape with an open top. The cup 420 has a processing space, and the substrate W may be liquid-processed in the processing space. The support unit 440 supports the substrate W in the processing space. The liquid supply unit 460 supplies a processing solution to the substrate W supported on the support unit 440. The processing solution may be provided in a variety of types and may be sequentially supplied to the substrate W. The lifting unit 480 adjusts the relative height between the cup 420 and the support unit 440.

[0074] According to an example, the cup 420 has a plurality of collection containers 422, 424, and 426. Each of the collection containers 422, 424, and 426 has a collection space for collecting liquid for processing a substrate. Each of the collection containers 422, 424, and 426 is disposed in a shape surrounding the support unit 440. As the liquid processing process proceeds, the processing solution sputtered by the rotation of the substrate W enters the collection space through the inlets 422a, 424a, and 426a of the respective collection containers 422, 424, and 426. According to an example, the cup 420 includes a first collection container 422, a second collection container 424, and a third collection container 426. The first collection container 422 is disposed to surround the support unit 440, the second collection container 424 is disposed to surround the first collection container 422, and the third collection container 426 is disposed to surround the second collection container 424. The second inlet 424a introducing liquid into the second collection container 424 may be located above the first inlet 422a introducing liquid into the first collection container 422, and the third inlet 426a introducing liquid into the third collection container 426 may be located above the second inlet 424a.

[0075] The support unit 440 includes a support plate 442 and a drive shaft 444. The upper surface of the support plate 442 can be set to a substantially circular shape and can have a diameter greater than the diameter of the substrate W. In the central portion of the support plate 442, a support pin 442a is set to support the rear surface of the substrate W, and the support pin 442a is provided with an upper end protruding from the support plate 442, so that the substrate W is spaced apart from the support plate 442 at a certain distance. A chuck pin 442b is provided at the edge of the support plate 442. The chuck pin 442b is provided to protrude upward from the support plate 442 and support the outer side of the substrate W, so that when the substrate W rotates, the substrate W will not be separated from the support unit 440. The drive shaft 444 is driven by a driver 446, connected to the center of the lower surface of the substrate W and rotates the support plate 442 relative to its central axis.

[0076] In one example, the liquid supply unit 460 may include a nozzle 462. The nozzle 462 may supply a treatment liquid to the substrate W. The treatment liquid may be a chemical, a rinsing solution, or an organic solvent. The chemical may be a chemical having a strong acid or a strong base property. In addition, the rinsing solution may be pure. In addition, the organic solvent may be isopropyl alcohol (IPA). In addition, the liquid supply unit 460 may include a plurality of nozzles 462, each of which may supply a different type of treatment liquid. For example, one of the nozzles 462 may supply a chemical, another of the nozzles 462 may supply a rinsing solution, and another of the nozzles 462 may supply an organic solvent. Further, the controller 30 may control the liquid supply unit 460 to supply an organic solvent from another of the nozzles 462 after the rinsing solution is supplied to the substrate W from one of the nozzles 462. Therefore, the rinsing liquid supplied to the substrate W may be replaced with an organic solvent having a low surface tension.

[0077] The lifting unit 480 moves the cup 420 in the vertical direction. The relative height between the cup 420 and the substrate W is changed by the vertical movement of the cup 420. Accordingly, since the collection containers 422, 424, and 426 for collecting the processing liquid are changed according to the type of liquid supplied to the substrate W, the liquid can be separated and collected. Different from the description, the cup 420 may be fixedly installed, and the lifting unit 480 may move the supporting unit 440 in the vertical direction.

[0078] Figure 3 To schematically illustrate an exemplary embodiment Figure 1 Diagram of the drying chamber.

[0079] See also Figure 3According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the drying chamber 500 can remove any residual processing liquid on the substrate W by using a drying fluid in a supercritical state. For example, the drying chamber 500 can perform a drying process to remove any residual processing liquid on the substrate W by using carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) to remove the organic solvent remaining on the substrate W.

[0080] The drying chamber 500 includes a cavity body 510 , an elevating member 540 , a substrate supporting unit 550 , a discharge unit 560 , a fluid supply unit 570 , a clamping member 600 , a moving member 650 , and a controller 700 .

[0081] The chamber 510 has a processing space 512 inside which the substrate W is processed. When the substrate W is processed, the chamber 510 seals the processing space 512 from the outside.

[0082] The cavity 510 includes a first body 520, a second body 530, and a sealing member 514. The second body 530 is provided with a stepped bottom surface. The second body 530 is provided with a shape in which a center portion of the bottom surface is lower than an edge portion.

[0083] The first body 520 and the second body 530 are combined with each other to form a processed space 512 .

[0084] The second body 530 is provided as an upper body positioned above the first body 520 , and the first body 520 is provided as a lower body positioned below the second body 530 .

[0085] Either of the first body 520 and the second body 530 may be configured to be movable relative to the other. For example, the first body 520 may be disposed below the second body 530, the second body may be fixed in place, and the first body may be moved upward or downward by a lifting member 540 described later.

[0086] When the first body 520 and the second body 530 are in the sealing position, the sealing member 514 seals the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 to increase the airtightness of the processing space 512. The sealing member 514 is positioned between the first body 520 and the second body 530. The sealing member 514 has an annular ring shape. For example, the sealing member 514 can be set as an O-ring. The sealing member 514 is arranged on the top surface of the first body 520 or the bottom surface of the second body 530. In the present exemplary embodiment, the sealing member 514 is described as being arranged on the top surface of the first body 520. A sealing groove into which the sealing member 514 is inserted is formed on the top surface of the first body 520. A part of the sealing member 514 is positioned to be inserted into the sealing groove, and another part is positioned to protrude from the sealing groove. The sealing member 514 can be provided by a material with elasticity.

[0087] The first body 520 is provided with a protrusion 522 on a surface contacting the second body 530 .

[0088] Figure 4 for Figure 3 The enlarged view of the portion where the first body 520 and the second body 530 contact each other. Figure 4 The protrusion 522 is arranged to be further outward than the sealing member 514 in the radial direction of the cavity 510. When viewed from above, the protrusion 522 is arranged in a ring shape. When the sealing member 514 is in an uncompressed state, the top of the protrusion 522 is formed at a position higher than the top of the sealing member 514.

[0089] The second body 530 is provided with a receiving portion 532. The receiving portion 532 is formed in a groove shape to receive the protrusion 522, and the protrusion 522 is inserted into the receiving portion 532 when the first body 520 and the second body 530 are in the sealed position. The side surfaces of the protrusion 522 and the receiving portion 532 are formed so that they do not contact each other when the first body 520 and the second body 530 are in the sealed or open position. That is, the protrusion 522 is formed so as not to contact the inner wall of the second body 530 providing the receiving portion 532.

[0090] The width and height of the protrusion and the receiving portion or a correlation thereof may be appropriately selected based on the material of the chamber, the spacing distance between the first body 520 and the second body 530 during substrate processing, the pressure of the fluid within the processing space, etc.

[0091] See again Figure 3, the lifting member 540 adjusts the relative position between the first body 520 and the second body 530. In one example, the lifting member 540 lifts the first body 520 in an upward or downward direction. The lifting member 540 lifts either the first body 520 or the second body 530 so that the cavity 510 moves to an open position or a sealed position. For example, the position of the second body 530 may be fixed, and the first body 520 may be lifted and lowered along a third direction Z by the lifting member 540. Here, the open position is a position where the first body 520 and the second body 530 are spaced apart from each other, and the sealed position is a position where the first body 520 and the second body 530 are in close contact with each other. The open position includes a position where the first body 520 and the second body 530 are spaced apart by a first spacing distance D1 or a second spacing distance D2, which will be described later.

[0092] The lifting member 540 includes a lifting driver 542, a lifting plate 544, and a lifting shaft 546. A plurality of lifting drivers 542 are provided, and are coupled to the lifting plate 544. The lifting plate 544 is fixedly coupled to the first body 520. The lifting plate 544 is provided in the shape of a disk.

[0093] The lifting shaft 546 is fixedly coupled to the lifting plate 544. A plurality of lifting shafts 546 are provided. The lifting shafts 546 are positioned to be arranged in a circumferential direction. The lifting driver 542 lifts each of the lifting shafts 546. A plurality of lifting drivers 542 are provided, and they are coupled to the lifting shafts 546 in a one-to-one correspondence. When the lifting driver 542 is provided with a driving force to lift the lifting shafts 546 and the lifting plate 574, the first body 520 is also lifted and moved together with the lifting plate 574, and the first body 520 and the second body 530 are moved to a sealing position to seal the processing space.

[0094] Each of the lifting drivers 542 is provided with the same driving force, and the driving force of each of the lifting drivers 542 is released equally. Therefore, the plurality of lifting shafts 546 are positioned at the same height during lifting, and the lifting plate 544 and the first body 520 can be lifted while maintaining a horizontal state. For example, the lifting driver 542 may be a motor or a cylinder, or a driver capable of multi-stage driving, but the present exemplary embodiment will be described using an example in which the lifting driver 542 is a motor.

[0095] A heater for heating the drying fluid supplied to the processing space 512 may be buried in the cavity 510. The heater may receive energy from the outside to generate heat. The heater may be provided on each of the first body 520 and the second body 530, or may be provided on only one of the first body 520 or the second body 530.

[0096] The substrate supporting unit 550 supports the substrate W in the processing space 512 .

[0097] Figure 5 for Figure 3 A perspective view of a substrate support unit. Figure 5 , the substrate supporting unit 550 supports the substrate W in such a manner that the processing surface of the substrate W faces upward. The substrate supporting unit 455 includes a supporting member 552 and a substrate holder 554. The supporting member 552 is configured in the shape of a column extending downward from the bottom surface of the first body 520. A plurality of supporting members 552 are provided. For example, the supporting member 552 can be four. The substrate holder 554 supports the bottom edge area of ​​the substrate W. A plurality of substrate holders 554 may be provided, each supporting a different area of ​​the substrate W. For example, the substrate holders 554 may be two. When viewed from above, the substrate holder 554 is configured in the shape of an inverted disk. When viewed from above, the substrate holder 554 is positioned on the inner side of the supporting member. Each of the substrate holders 554 is configured to be combined with each other in an annular shape. Each of the substrate holders 554 is spaced apart from each other.

[0098] Refer again Figure 3 , the exhaust unit 560 exhausts the atmosphere of the processing space 512. The process byproducts produced in the processing space 512 are discharged through the exhaust unit 560. The exhaust can be a natural exhaust or a forced exhaust. The exhaust unit 560 can also adjust the pressure in the processing space 512 while exhausting the process byproducts. The exhaust unit 560 includes an exhaust line 562 and a pressure measuring member 564. The exhaust line 562 is connected to the exhaust port 520b formed in the first body 520. The exhaust line 562 can be connected to a decompression member (not shown) for providing decompression to the processing space. The decompression member can be a pump. However, without limitation, the decompression member can be any known device capable of providing decompression to the processing space.

[0099] The discharge valve 566 installed in the discharge line 562 is adjustable to adjust the discharge amount of the processing space 512. The pressure measuring member 564 is installed in the discharge line 562 and measures the pressure in the discharge line 562. The pressure measuring member 564 is positioned upstream of the discharge valve 566 with respect to the discharge direction. Through the discharge unit 560, the processing space 512 can be depressurized to a normal pressure or a pressure corresponding to the outside of the cavity 510. The fluid supply unit 570 supplies a processing fluid to the processing space 512. The processing fluid supplied by the fluid supply unit 570 may include carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The process fluid is supplied in a supercritical state at the critical temperature and critical pressure.

[0100] The fluid supply unit 570 can include a fluid supply source 571 , a first supply line 573 , a first supply valve 575 , a second supply line 577 , and a second supply valve 579 .

[0101] The fluid supply source 571 stores and / or supplies the processing fluid supplied to the processing space 512. The fluid supply source 571 supplies the processing fluid to the first supply line 573 and / or the second supply line 577. A plurality of fluid supply sources 571 may be provided, and the fluid supply source 571 corresponding to the processing fluid processed in the processing space 512 supplies the processing fluid to the first supply line 573 and / or the second supply line 577. That is, the processing fluid supplied from each of the first supply line 573 and the second supply line 577 may be the same type of fluid.

[0102] The first supply line 573 is connected to a first supply port 530a formed in the second body 530. The processing fluid is supplied to the processing space 512 via the first supply line 573 and the first supply port 530a in sequence.

[0103] The second supply line 577 is connected to a second supply port 520a formed in the first body 520. The processing fluid is sequentially supplied to the processing space 512 via the second supply line 577 and the second supply port 520a.

[0104] The first supply valve 575 is installed in the first supply line 573, and the second supply valve 579 is installed in the second supply line 577. The first supply valve 575 and the second supply valve 579 may be opening / closing valves. According to the opening / closing of the first supply valve 575 and the second supply valve 579, the first supply line 573 and the second supply line 577 may be selectively opened and closed, and the treatment fluid may selectively flow in the first supply line 573 or the second supply line 577.

[0105] The above example illustrates, but is not limited to, that the first supply line 573 and the second supply line 577 are connected to one fluid supply source 571 among the plurality of fluid supply sources 571. The first supply line 573 may be connected to any one of the plurality of fluid supply sources 571, and the second supply line 577 may be connected to a different one of the fluid supply sources 571.

[0106] In one example, the processing fluid may be supplied from the second supply port 520a opposite to the unprocessed surface of the substrate W, and then the processing fluid may be supplied from the first supply port 530a opposite to the processed surface of the substrate W. Therefore, the processing fluid may be first supplied to the processing space 512 via the second supply line 577, and then supplied to the processing space 512 via the first supply line 573. This prevents the initially supplied processing fluid from being supplied to the substrate W in a case where the processing fluid is below a critical pressure or a critical temperature.

[0107] The gas supply unit 580 supplies a purge gas to the processing space 512. The gas supply unit 580 supplies the purge gas until the processing space 512 reaches a preset pressure. The preset pressure is a pressure higher than the external pressure of the chamber 510. In one example, the preset pressure may be 10 bar. The gas supply unit 580 includes a purge gas line 582. The purge gas line 582 is connected to the first supply line 573. The purge gas line 582 supplies the processing fluid to the first supply line 573. A gas valve 584 is installed in the exhaust line 582. The gas valve 584 opens and closes the purge gas line 582. For example, the purge gas may be an inert gas. The purge gas may be nitrogen (N 2 ).

[0108] The clamping member 600 clamps the cavity 510 in a sealed position, that is, the first body 520 and the second body 530. This prevents a gap from being formed between the first body 520 and the second body 530 even if the pressure in the processing space increases during the process.

[0109] Figure 6 for Figure 3 A perspective view of the clamping member of Figure 6 , the clamping member 600 includes a first clamping piece 610, a second clamping piece 620, and a locking pin 630. The first clamping piece 610 and the second clamping piece 620 are located on the side of the cavity 510. In one example, each of the first clamping piece 610 and the second clamping piece 620 is positioned opposite to each other with the cavity 510 inserted therebetween.

[0110] The first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 are capable of clamping the cavity 510 in opposite positions. Each of the first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 is set to a shape surrounding the cavity 510. Each of the first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 has a clamping groove 612 formed on the inner surface facing the cavity 510. The inner surface of the first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 may have a shape substantially corresponding to the outer surface of the cavity 510 located at the sealing position. In the clamping groove 612, the edge portion of the first body 520 and the edge portion of the second body 530 at the sealing position are insertable. That is, each of the edge portion of the first body 520 and the edge portion of the second body 530 is set as an area to be clamped.

[0111] The clamping member 600 can be moved to a locked position or a released position. The locked position is defined herein as a position where the first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 are closed together to clamp the first body 520 and the second body 530, and the released position is defined as a position where the first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 are spaced apart from the first body 520 and the second body 530.

[0112] The first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 are provided in an annular shape combined with each other in the locked position. For example, the vertical portion of any one of the first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 may be provided in a "C" or "D" shape, and the vertical portion of the other may be provided symmetrically with respect to the vertical axis with respect to the vertical portion of one.

[0113] The first clamping member 610 is configured such that one side in contact with the second clamping member 620 is in a stepped shape. The second clamping member 620 is configured such that the other side in contact with the first clamping member 610 is in a stepped shape.

[0114] The first side of the first clamp 610 and the other side of the second clamp 620 are arranged in a staggered shape. In one example, the upper end of one side of the first clamp 610 can be arranged to be longer than the lower end of one side of the first clamp 610, and the upper end of the other side of the second clamp 620 can be arranged to be stepped longer than the lower end of the other side of the second clamp 620. A first pin groove 614 is formed in the stepped region of the first clamp 610 where the locking pin 630 is located, and a second pin groove 624 is formed in the stepped region of the second clamp 620. Each of the first pin groove 614 and the second pin groove 624 is arranged to face a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the clamping member 600. In the locked position, the first pin groove 614 and the second pin groove 624 are positioned relative to each other. In one example, at the locked position, the locking pin 630 can protrude from the first pin groove 614 and be inserted into the second pin groove 624. In addition, a first pin groove 614 may be further formed in the second clamping member 620 , and a second pin groove 624 may be further formed in the first clamping member 610 .

[0115] See again Figure 3 , the moving member 650 moves the clamping member 600 to the locking position and the releasing position.

[0116] The first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 may be moved by the moving member 650. A plurality of moving members 650 may be provided. Any one of the moving members 650 may be connected to the first body 520 and the first clamp 610, and another one of the moving members 650 may be connected to the first body 520 and the second clamp 620.

[0117] The controller 700 controls the lifting member 540 and the moving member 650. The controller 700 controls the lifting member 540 to move the cavity 510 to the sealing position or the opening position, and controls the moving member 650 to move the clamping member 600 to the locking position or the releasing position.

[0118] The controller 700 may also control the fluid supply unit 570 so that the pressure in the processing space 512 is greater than the pressure applied to the first body 520 at the sealing position. Further, the controller 700 may control the opening and closing of each of the valves 566, 575, 579 and 584 to supply or stop supplying the fluid.

[0119] In one example, when the cavity 510 moves from the open position to the sealed position, the clamping member 600 may move from the release position to the locked position. The controller 700 may adjust the lifting speed of the first body 520 .

[0120] A method of processing a substrate by using the above-described drying chamber 500 is described below.

[0121] Figure 7 To illustrate the use of Figure 3 Flow chart of a process for processing a substrate using a device.

[0122] Figures 8 to 19 To illustrate the use of Figure 3 Device, according to Fig. 9 FIG. 1 is a diagram of a process of processing a substrate by each operation of a flowchart. In the diagram, a valve with a white interior is a valve in an open state, and a valve with a black interior is a valve in a closed state.

[0123] The controller 700 may control the elevating driver 542 and the moving member 650 , and may control valves 566 , 575 , 579 , and 584 respectively installed in the fluid supply unit 570 , the gas supply unit 580 , and the exhaust line 562 to perform a process of sequentially treating substrates as described below.

[0124] See now Figures 8 to 19 , the method for processing the substrate W includes a substrate loading operation S10, a sealing operation S20, a clamping operation S30, a process operation S40, a discharge operation S50, a gas supply operation S60, a clamping release operation S70, an opening operation S80, and a substrate unloading operation S90.

[0125] Figure 8 1 is a diagram showing a simplified view of the drying chamber 500 when a substrate loading operation is in progress. In the substrate loading operation S10, a substrate is loaded into the processing space. The substrate W is loaded into the processing space 512 along the second direction Y while being placed on the hand 322 of the transfer robot 320. The substrate W is supported by the substrate supporting unit 550.

[0126] The cavity 510 is in an open state, wherein the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 is a second spacing distance D2, which is the same as the substrate unloading operation S90 described later. The gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 will be described later.

[0127] In this operation, the clamping member 600 is in a position where the first clamping piece 610 and the second clamping piece 620 are spaced apart from the first body 520 and the second body 530. That is, the clamping member 600 is in a released position.

[0128] In this operation, valves 566, 575, 579, and 584 respectively installed in the fluid supply unit 570, the gas supply unit 580, and the exhaust line 562 are in a closed state.

[0129] The sealing operation S20 is performed after the substrate loading operation S10.

[0130] Fig. 91 is a diagram briefly showing the drying chamber 500 when the sealing operation S20 is in progress. In the sealing operation S20, the first body 520 is lifted by the lifting driver 542, and the first body 520 and the second body 530 are in close contact with each other. That is, the first body 520 and the second body 530 are in a sealing position.

[0131] The processing space 512 is sealed by the first body 520 and the second body 530 .

[0132] After the sealing operation S20, a clamping operation S30 is performed.

[0133] Fig.10 FIG. 5 is a diagram briefly showing the drying chamber 500 when performing the clamping operation S30. In the clamping operation S30, in order to restrict the movement of the first body 520 and the second body 530 when performing the high pressure drying process, the first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 are moved from the release position to the locking position to clamp the first body 520 and the second body 530.

[0134] After the clamping operation S30, a processing operation S40 is performed.

[0135] Fig.11 and Fig.12 A schematic diagram of the drying chamber during processing operations.

[0136] As described above, when the processing fluid is supplied from the second supply port 520a facing the unprocessed surface of the substrate W and the processing space 512 reaches the critical temperature and the critical pressure, the fluid supply from the second supply port 520a is stopped and the fluid supply is started through the first supply port 530a facing the processed surface of the substrate W.

[0137] At this stage, the discharge valve 566 installed in the discharge line 562 is shown in a closed state. However, in the process operation, the supply and discharge of the processing fluid can be performed sequentially or simultaneously, and the opening and closing of the discharge valve 566 and the first supply valve 575 can be controlled accordingly.

[0138] The processing fluid that has reached the critical pressure or the critical temperature is supplied to the substrate W to process the substrate, and when the process operation S40 is completed, the exhaust operation S50 continues.

[0139] Fig.13 The drying chamber during the discharge operation is schematically shown.

[0140] The exhaust operation S50 includes exhausting the residual fluid from the processing space 512. During the exhaust operation S50, the atmosphere in the processing space 512 is exhausted by the exhaust unit 560. The exhaust operation S50 includes exhausting the atmosphere of the processing space 512 until the processing space 512 reaches an exhaust pressure. The exhaust pressure can be a pressure corresponding to the normal pressure and the pressure outside the cavity 510.

[0141] When the discharge operation S50 is completed, the discharge through the discharge unit 560 is stopped, and the discharge valve 566 is closed to continue the gas supply operation S60.

[0142] The time point at which the gas supply operation S60 is performed after the exhaust operation S50 is completed may be determined by the pressure in the exhaust line 562 measured by the pressure measuring member 564 installed in the exhaust line 562. For example, when the pressure in the exhaust line 562 measured by the pressure measuring member 564 is 0 bar, that is, when it is determined that no process fluid is discharged through the exhaust line 562, the exhaust valve 566 may be closed.

[0143] The gas supply operation S60 includes supplying a purge gas to the processing space 512. In the gas supply operation S30, the purge gas is supplied until the processing space 512 reaches a preset pressure. Fig.14 As shown, during the supply of gas, the discharge valve 566 is in a closed state, thereby stopping the discharge through the discharge unit 560. Here, the preset pressure is a pressure higher than the external pressure of the cavity 510. In one example, the preset pressure may be 10 bar.

[0144] When the gas supply operation S60 is completed, the clamp release operation S70 is subsequently performed. Fig.15 FIG. 5 is a diagram briefly showing the drying chamber 500 when a clamp release operation is performed.

[0145] In the clamp release operation S70, the first clamp 610 and the second clamp 620 move from the locking position to the release position and release the clamping of the cavity 510 to allow the first body 520 and the second body 530 to move relative to each other in the subsequent opening operation S80. When the clamping is released, the opening operation S80 is performed.

[0146] The opening operation S80 includes a first opening operation S82 and a second opening operation S84. Each operation is performed sequentially.

[0147] See also Fig.16 , in the first opening operation S82, the first body 520 and the second body 530 move relative to each other to be spaced apart by the first spacing distance D1.

[0148] When the processing space 512 is opened at the first spacing distance D1, the atmosphere in the processing space 512 is exhausted to the outside due to the pressure difference between the processing space 512 and the outside of the processing space 512. The atmosphere of the processing space 512 may include a purge gas and residual processing fluid.

[0149] In this case, the first spacing distance D1 is smaller than a height of the protrusion 522 formed on the first body 520 protruding from the first body 520 .

[0150] The first spacing distance D1 is a distance thinner than the thickness of the hand 322 of the transfer robot 320 .

[0151] Therefore, if Fig.17 As shown, the protrusion 522 is positioned on a straight path through which the atmosphere of the processing space 512 is discharged to the outside of the cavity 510 , and the atmosphere of the processing space 512 is slowly discharged through the space between the protrusion 522 and the receiving portion 532 .

[0152] After the first opening operation S82, a second opening operation S84 is performed. In the second opening operation S84, the first body 520 and the second body 530 are moved relative to each other so that they are spaced apart by a second spacing distance D2. Fig.18 Shown in.

[0153] The second spacing distance D2 is a distance between the first body and the second body when the substrate W is loaded into the processing space 512 or when the substrate W is unloaded from the processing space 512. The second spacing distance D2 is greater than the first spacing distance D1.

[0154] When the first body 520 and the second body 530 are moved relative to each other so that the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 becomes the second spacing distance D2 in the second opening operation S84, the second opening operation S84 is ended and the substrate unloading operation S90 is performed.

[0155] In the substrate unloading operation S90, the substrate is unloaded from the processing space 512. The substrate W is unloaded from the processing space 512 along the second direction Y in a state where the substrate is placed on the hand 322 of the transfer robot 320.

[0156] Fig. 20 Based on Figure 7 Each operation of the flowchart plots a graph of the gap (ie, separation distance) between the first body 520 and the second body 530 .

[0157] according to Fig. 20, in the substrate loading operation S10, the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 is the second spacing distance D2, and in the sealing operation S20, the cavity 510 is moved to the sealing position and the processing space 512 is sealed, so that the spacing distance becomes zero. Then, the cavity 510 is in the sealing position until the clamping release operation S70 ends, so that the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 is zero.

[0158] Then, when the first opening operation S82 is performed, the elevating driver 542 of the elevating member 540 lowers the first body 520 , and the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 increases to the first spacing distance D1 .

[0159] In the first opening operation S82, the relative movement between the first body 520 and the second body 530 is stopped for a predetermined period of time to help the atmosphere in the processing space 512 to be slowly discharged. That is, the first opening operation S82 includes a period of time in which the first opening operation S82 is stopped and the atmosphere of the processing space 512 is slowly discharged in a state where the interval distance is the first interval distance D1.

[0160] In the second opening operation S84, the elevating driver 542 of the elevating member 540 further lowers the first body 520, and the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 increases to the second spacing distance D2.

[0161] In the substrate unloading operation S90 , the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 is the same second spacing distance D2 as in the substrate loading operation S10 .

[0162] As described above, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, before opening the processing space 512, the purge gas is supplied to the processing space 512 to maintain the processing space 512 at a preset pressure higher than the normal pressure. This can minimize the introduction of external particles and external gas flow during the process of opening the processing space 512.

[0163] In addition, when the cavity 510 is opened, the cavity 510 is first opened by the first spacing distance D1 and then sequentially opened by the second spacing distance D2.

[0164] Therefore, the atmosphere of the processing space 512 can be slowly discharged through the space between the protrusion 522 and the receiving portion 532 .

[0165] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the processing space 512 from rapidly expanding, and it is possible to prevent the processing space 512 from temporarily generating a negative pressure.

[0166] In addition, the atmosphere in the processing space 512 has an effect of preventing external particles and external air flow from entering the processing space 512 by the pressure of the air flow discharged to the outside of the processing space 512.

[0167] In the above Fig. 20 In the exemplary embodiment shown, in the first opening operation S82 and the second opening operation S84, the rate at which the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 increases is shown to be the same, but is not limited thereto. When the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 according to the first opening operation S82 becomes the first spacing distance D1, in order to help slowly discharge the atmosphere in the processing space 512, in the second opening operation S84, the speed at which the first body 520 and the second body 530 move relative to each other (i.e., the speed at which the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 increases) may be lower than the speed at which the first body 520 and the second body 530 move relative to each other in the first opening operation S82.

[0168] In the above Fig. 20 In the exemplary embodiment shown, the relative movement between the first body 520 and the second body 530 in the first opening operation S82 is shown as being stopped for a predetermined period of time, but is not limited thereto. The second opening operation S84 may also be performed immediately when the gap between the first body 520 and the second body 530 according to the first opening operation S82 becomes the first spacing distance D1 without stopping the relative movement between the first body 520 and the second body 530.

[0169] In the above exemplary embodiment, the purge gas line 582 is shown as being connected to the first supply line 573 , but is not limited thereto. The purge gas line 582 may be configured to be connected to the second supply line 577 , or may be configured to be connected to each of the first supply line 573 and the second supply line 577 .

[0170] Figure 21 to Figure 23 is a diagram showing a cavity of the present invention according to a modified exemplary embodiment. Figure 3 The configuration of the cavity 510 shown in FIG. Figure 3 The configuration of the cavity 510 shown in FIG. 5 is denoted by the same symbols, so that a detailed description thereof will be omitted, and the modified exemplary embodiment will be described below by focusing on the configuration different from the present exemplary embodiment.

[0171] according to Fig.21 In the modified example, the first body 520 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 522 a and 522 b on the surface in contact with the second body 530 .

[0172] A plurality of protrusions 522 a and 522 b are sequentially disposed outside the sealing member 514 along a radial direction of the cavity 510 .

[0173] The second body 530 is provided with a plurality of receiving portions 532a and 532b corresponding to the plurality of protrusions 522a and 522b. Fig.16 Only two protrusions 522a and 522b and two receiving portions 532a and 532b are shown in the figure, but the protrusions and receiving portions may be implemented with three or more.

[0174] exist Fig. 22 In the modified example shown, the first body 520 is provided with a first protrusion 522c on the surface in contact with the second body 530, and the second body 530 is provided with a second protrusion 522d on the surface in contact with the first body 520. Further, the second body 530 is provided with a first receiving portion 532c, and the first body 520 is provided with a second receiving portion 532d. The first receiving portion 532c is formed with a groove shape for receiving the first protrusion 522c, and the second receiving portion 532d is formed with a groove shape for receiving the second protrusion 522d. Although according to Fig. 22 The modified example shows that the first body 520 and the second body 530 are each provided with one protrusion and one receiving portion, but the first body 520 and the second body 530 may be each provided with one or more protrusions and receiving portions.

[0175] according to Fig.23 The protrusion 522e has a hemispherical shape on its upper surface. As a result of such a shape of the protrusion 522e, when the atmosphere of the processing space 512 is discharged to the outside of the cavity 510, even if the protrusion 522e is present in the discharge path, the atmosphere of the processing space 512 can be discharged smoothly without forming turbulence. Figures 21 to 23 In the modified example of , the atmosphere in the processing space 512 can be slowly discharged through the space between the protrusion 522 and the receiving portion 532. The protrusion or the receiving portion may be arranged or implemented in various shapes in addition to those shown in the above exemplary embodiments.

[0176] It should be understood that exemplary embodiments are disclosed herein, and other variations are possible. The individual elements or features of a particular exemplary embodiment are generally not limited to that particular exemplary embodiment, but are interchangeable, and, where applicable, may also be used for the selected exemplary embodiment even if not specifically shown or described. These modifications should not be considered as departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and all such modifications apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A device for processing a substrate, the device comprising: a chamber including a first body and a second body, the first body and the second body being combined with each other to form a processing space in which a processing process for a substrate is performed; a driver for moving either the first body or the second body relative to the other so that a relative position between the first body and the second body is changeable between a sealing position for sealing the processing space from the outside and an opening position for opening the processing space; a supporting unit, the supporting unit being used to support a substrate in the processing space; as well as a fluid supply unit, the fluid supply unit being used to supply a processing fluid to the processing space; as well as a discharge unit for discharging fluid from the processing space, The first body has a first protrusion formed on a surface in contact with the second body. The second body is formed with a first receiving portion, and The first protrusion is configured to be inserted into the first receiving portion when the first body and the second body are in the sealing position.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The first protrusion and the first receiving portion are formed so that the first protrusion does not contact an inner wall providing the first receiving portion when the first body and the second body are in the sealing position or the open position.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein: A plurality of the first protrusions are formed along a radial direction of the chamber.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The first protrusion is provided in a ring shape when viewed from above.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The chamber further includes a sealing member, and The first protrusion is located further outward than the sealing member in a radial direction of the chamber.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein: The first body is positioned below the second body, and An upper end of the first protrusion is formed at a position higher than an upper end of the sealing member.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The second body has a second protrusion formed on a surface in contact with the first body. The first body is formed with a second receiving portion, and The second protrusion is configured to be inserted into the second receiving portion when the first body and the second body are in the sealing position.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein: The device also includes: A clamping member is used to clamp the chamber when the first body and the second body are in the sealing position.

9. The device according to claim 1, further comprising: Controller, wherein the controller processes the substrate by supplying a first processing gas into the processing space in a state where the processing space is sealed, Subsequently, when the processing process for the substrate is completed, a purge gas is supplied to the processing space until the processing space is at a preset pressure, and Subsequently, the driver is controlled to move the first body and the second body relative to each other so that the first body and the second body are spaced apart by a first spacing distance, and Then, the first body and the second body are moved relative to each other so that the first body and the second body are spaced apart by a second spacing distance, The first spacing distance is smaller than the second spacing distance, and The second spacing distance is a distance spaced between the first body and the second body when the substrate is loaded into or unloaded from the processing space.

10. The device according to claim 9, wherein: The first spacing distance is smaller than a height of the first protrusion protruding from the first body.

11. A method for processing a substrate, the method comprising: A loading operation, wherein the substrate is loaded into an open processing space by a transfer hand; a sealing operation, wherein the sealing operation seals the processing space; a process operation of forming a sealed process space with a pressure greater than a normal pressure and supplying a process fluid to the process space to process a substrate loaded into the process space; an exhaust operation, wherein the exhaust operation exhausts the atmosphere of the processing space; as well as an opening operation, the opening operation being used to open the processing space, The opening operation includes: a first opening operation to open the processed space by moving the first body and the second body relative to each other so that a distance between the first body and the second body forming the processed space is a first spacing distance; and a second opening operation, the second opening operation opening the processing space by moving the first body and the second body relative to each other so that the distance between the first body and the second body is a second spacing distance greater than the first spacing distance, and The first spacing distance is smaller than a height of a protrusion formed on a surface contacting the second body and protruding from the first body.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The first spacing distance is smaller than the second spacing distance, and The second spacing distance is a distance spaced between the first body and the second body when the substrate is loaded into or unloaded from the processing space.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising: between the exhaust operation and the opening operation, a gas supply operation of supplying a purge gas to the processing space until the processing space reaches a preset pressure, Wherein, the preset pressure is higher than the external pressure of the processing space.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein: The gas supply operation includes stopping exhausting the atmosphere of the processing space.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein: A speed at which the first body and the second body are moved relative to each other in the second opening operation is lower than a speed at which the first body and the second body are moved relative to each other in the first opening operation.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein: After the first opening operation and before the second opening operation, relative movement of the first body and the second body is stopped for a predetermined period of time.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The method further comprises: a clamping operation of clamping the processing space between the loading operation and the processing operation and after sealing the processing space; and A clamp release operation is provided to release the clamp between the discharge operation and the first opening operation.

18. An apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a chamber including a first body and a second body, the first body and the second body being combined with each other to form a processing space in which a processing process for a substrate is performed; a driver for moving either the first body or the second body relative to the other so that a relative position between the first body and the second body is changeable between a sealing position for sealing the processing space from the outside and an opening position for opening the processing space; a supporting unit, the supporting unit being used to support a substrate in the processing space; a fluid supply unit, the fluid supply unit being used to supply a processing fluid to the processing space; a discharge unit for discharging fluid from the processing space, a clamping member, the clamping member being used to clamp the chamber when the first body and the second body are in the sealing position; as well as Controller, The first body has a protrusion formed on the surface in contact with the second body. The second body is formed with a receiving portion, and The protrusion is configured to be inserted into the receiving portion when the first body and the second body are in a sealed position, The controller clamps the chamber in a state where the processing space is sealed, supplies a first processing gas to the processing space, supplies a purge gas to the processing space until the processing space is at a preset pressure when a processing process for the substrate is completed, releases the clamping, and controls the driver to move the first body and the second body relative to each other so that the first body and the second body are spaced apart by a first spacing distance, and The first spacing distance is smaller than the second spacing distance, and The second spacing distance is a distance spaced between the first body and the second body when the substrate is loaded into or unloaded from the processing space, and The first spacing distance is smaller than a height of the protrusion protruding from the first body.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein: The controller controls the driver to move the first body and the second body relative to each other so that the first body and the second body are spaced apart by a first spacing distance, and The relative movement of the first body and the second body is then stopped for a predetermined period of time before the first body and the second body are moved relative to each other such that the first body and the second body are spaced apart by the second spacing distance.

20. The device according to claim 18, wherein The chamber further includes a sealing member, and The protrusion is located further outward than the sealing member in a radial direction of the chamber.

Images